


Mortal Eyes Season 1: In Light of Darkness

by RowanSage



Series: Mortal Eyes [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Clary Fray, But she has issues also, Clary is a lot less naive, Fluff and Angst, Hurt and comfort, Insecure Clary Fray, Magic, Magic Revealed, Magical Outbursts, Multi, PTSD, Past Abuse, Powerful Clary, Protective Jace Wayland, Protective Magnus Bane, Shadowhunter Clary Fray, She got demon blood too basically, Warlock Clary Fray, but it didn't screw up her mind like with ol johnny boy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2020-12-07 13:17:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20976518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowanSage/pseuds/RowanSage
Summary: "For as long as she could remember, Clary hid her true eyes.  Even her mom, Jocelyn, would flinch if she ever took down the strange magic covering them."Or Clary is part-Warlock and gets thrown into the Shadow World while having to hide her magic and her Mark from everyone around her.  Needless to say, it doesn't exactly go smoothly.





	1. Episode 1: The First Encounter (Part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! So before we begin, I wanted to clarify a few things that might come across as confusing when you read my story. Here's the basic differences between Mortal Eyes and canon:
> 
> Clary was injected with demon blood just like Jonathan, but with Asmodeous's blood instead of Lilith's. Since Asmodeous is actually meant to have children, it turned her part-Warlock instead of driving her mad.
> 
> Since Jocelyn wanted to keep Clary's nature a complete secret, she never took her to get her memory wiped, and simply never explained anything to Clary. Thus, Clary is a bit less naive, and her inner-dialogue is more cynical and anti-authority.
> 
> Despite her demon blood, the swords still glow blue for her, since that's her inherent nature. However, they will turn red when or if she ever performs magic whilst holding one.
> 
> In addition to all of this, some of the dialogue in this piece is from the TV show, but rest assured I don't own any of it.  
That should cover everything, but please let me know in the comments if I missed anything. Anyway, enjoy the story!

Ever since Clary could remember, she hid her true eyes. Even her mom, Jocelyn, would flinch if she ever took down the strange magic that covered them. Glamour, Clary called it, though Jocelyn refused to tell Clary it’s true name.

“Now, remember,” She used to say, sending her off to elementary school. “You aren’t allowed to do anything magical, and you mustn’t show them your eyes. If people start asking about it, tell me, alright?” Being the innocent child that she was, Clary always agreed, and shoved her hands in her pockets every time they glowed. She got to be an expert at it, to the point that, unless something very emotional happened, she didn’t even have to focus to keep her glamours up. Still, sometimes, when alone in her room, she would let them fall, and do as much magic as she could before Jocelyn came in to say goodnight.

Truth was, Clary didn’t know anything about her powers, or how she came to have them. The strange glimpses she got into the Other World, the one with demons and monsters, her mother never explained. For all intents and purposes, Clary was completely normal. She just saw and did things that no one else could.

That all changed on Clary’s eighteenth birthday.

* * *

“Give me the professor’s name and I will end them,” Simon said as Clary walked into the cafe, looking downtrodden. “You know, with a scathing email to the dean!”

“Don’t bother,” Clary sighed, handing him her letter. Her lips twitched as he opened it and read the first word.

“Congratulations . . .” Simon muttered, then louder. “What? Sad face? Really?” Clary laughed, unable to contain it. “Well played, well played.” Clary sat down, dragging the coffee and biscotti closer to her. In her excitement, her fingers sparked slightly, and she surpressed it with a small huff of irritation.  _ Not now. _

“Thank you,” Clary replied, sipping on her coffee. Her brow furrowed. “You know, it’s wierd. They kind of liked my assigned work, but they  _ flipped out  _ over the drawings for our graphic novel.”  _ Drawings inspired by real life, _ she thought, but didn’t voice it out loud.

“You’re welcome,” Simon drawled, flashing her a wide grin. Clary rolled her eyes and chuckled.

“Today will go down in history as the greatest eighteenth birthday I’ve ever had!”

“Clary, this is the  _ only _ eighteenth birthday you’ve ever had.”

“You know what I meant!” Clary reached for her biscotti, but her fingers only brushed against rough drawing paper. She frowned and looked down. There was her biscotti, perfectly preserved as a drawing. Her heart pounded in her ears. Had she accidentally done magic? That hadn’t happened since she was-

“So we are totally celebrating with Maureen after the show,” Simon exclaimed, snapping her out of it. 

“Yeah, yeah we are,” Clary said faintly. “Listen, I’ve gotta go . . . y’know, give my mom the news.” Simon nodded, leaning back and gulping down his coffee.

“You do that, and I will finish your coffee.” Clary chuckled.

“You jerk,” She threw at him, standing up and slinging her pack over her shoulder. “See you at your show!”

“Yeah, see ya!” Simon called, and with that she exited the shop.

“What the hell was that, Clary Fray,” She muttered to herself, clenching her fist tight in her pocket. She felt her magic well up and surpressed it violently, no matter how much it protested. One day, she knew, all this magical suppression would come back and bite her in the ass.

Truth was, she knew absolutely nothing about her magic other than the fact that she had to hide it at all costs. Mom had never explained anything to her, always saying, “You’ll understand when you’re older, but you’re more of a target when you know things.” Clary snorted, blowing a cloud of mist into the frosty air.  _ Joke’s on you mom; I’m older now and I don’t understand anything. _

She set off down the street, letting herself melt into the familiar sounds and scents of Brooklyn. Closing her eyes breifly, she inhaled the stench of old dumpsters, rotting food and air pollution. A smile teased her lips.  _ My city. _

The bus on the way back to her apartment was crowded as usual, but she combatted it with her soundproof headphones, indie pop rolling through her like a tidal wave. Once, she glanced to the side and swore she saw a man with eyes like hers, but she looked again, and he was gone. She sighed and clenched her hand inside her coat pocket, allowing herself the satisfaction of letting it glow, before pushing it down again.  _ If the monsters try and attack me here, I can at least defend myself. _

She leapt off the bus and up the steps of her apartment, not bothering to knock before she made her way inside. Mom was expecting her anyway.

Dot, her mom’s friend, was sitting at her usual spot at the glass counter, bent over her tarot cards with intense concentration. 

“Hey, Dot!” Clary greeted. “How’s your future looking?”

“Not as good as yours,” Dot replied breezily, her fingers brushing over the Ace of Cups. “The tarot cards tell me you got into the advanced program.”

“And by ‘tarot cards’ you mean Simon’s twitter?” Dot laughed and stood up, making her way around the counter.

“Okay, I follow him; turns out predicting the future with tarot cards is very complicated. Buuut I do predict a birthday present in your future!” She produced a gift bag from underneath the counter, and Clary’s heart leapt.

“You shouldn’t have!” She exclaimed, producing the shirt from within the wrapping paper and holding it up to herself.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t wear that around your mom if I were you,” Dot said. Then she frowned, gazing at Clary with troubled eyes.

“You okay?” Clary asked. Dot shook herself.

“Yeah! Yeah, I’m fine. Happy Birthday!” Dot said. “Go up and see your mom; she’s been waiting for you.” Clary nodded and bounded up the steps leading up to their apartment. She skipped the squeaky step and flung the door open, tucking the shirt quietly into her bag.

“Hey!”

“Hi!” Jocelyn exclaimed. “Congratulations!” Clary let out an exasperated sigh.

“You follow Simon too, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but can you blame me? That boy needs the retweets.” Jocelyn walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. 

“Yeah right,” Clary chuckled. “Stalker mom.” She set her bag and her sketchbook on the kitchen counter. Mom glanced at her drawings, then did a double-take.

“Clary,” Mom said reproachfully.

“I know, I just-”

“You can’t just draw about this stuff!”

“It’s fake, that’s what I told everyone,“ Clary defended. “I’m just using them for a graphic novel, that’s all!”

“And if the wrong people see your graphic novel?”

“I don’t even know who the wrong people are!” Clary exclaimed. “I don’t know anything about the monsters, that’s the whole  _ point _ . When are you going to tell me about this stuff?”

“After your party, we  _ will _ talk, alright?” Mom looked weary, and Clary felt a bit guilty. “Just . . . be a kid for one more day. Go out with your friends.” Clary sighed.

“Alright.”

The door slammed, and Clary turned to see Luke strolling up to them, smiling widely. 

“Jocelyn! Clary! Sorry I’m late,” Luke said. “Boss has got me working on some nasty murders.”

“Was it monsters?” Clary asked belligerently.

“Clary!” Mom exclaimed, but Luke’s eyes widened..

“Monsters?” He glanced between her and Mom. “What do you mean?” Clary grabbed her notebook off the counter and showed it to him.

“Monsters like this.” Luke took one look at the drawings and turned to Jocelyn. Clary felt a spark of annoyance.

“She knows?” 

“She doesn’t know anything,” Mom hissed. “I’m telling her tonight, okay?” Luke sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Alright, just be careful.” He directed the last comment at Clary. “If you see anything like those while you’re out with your friends, you turn and run in the other direction, okay?” Clary nodded. She wasn’t stupid. She’d encountered them before, but luckily her mom had been able to defend her, with her strange glowing sword and hidden tattoos. Yet again, her mom had explained nothing, but little Clary overheard her discussing it with Luke that evening.

“We can’t bring her to him; he doesn’t know about the magic!”

“-Doesn’t matter, she’s-”

“Too young! We’ll wait until she’s older. Maybe after she joins the ‘other world’ than we can have Magnus help her. They have the same mark, after all.”

Then they walked towards Clary’s room, so she pretended to be asleep, pondering what she’d overheard.  _ Who the hell is Magnus? What’s a mark?  _ Questions she still didn’t have answers to. 

“By the way Clary, I brought you a present,” Luke said, producing a bag of brand new spraypaint. Clary gasped and took them, shaked the bright blue paint experimentally.

“I’d better not see any of this paint on the streets,” Luke said sternly, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that denoted his words. Clary rolled her eyes and smiled.

“We’re just repainting Simon’s van, don’t worry!” Clary reassured him. “We thought the band was due for a name change.” Jocelyn sighed.

“Thank God.” She said. Then jumped, as if she’d forgotten something, and pulled a small parcel out of her pocket. “Oh! Here; I forgot to give it to you.” Clary took it and ripped off the wrapping. The only thing in it was a narrow box, and inside the box . . .

“What is this?” Clary asked, turning over the stone-metal stick thing in her hand. It had a white, luminescent tip, and carvings which, Clary knew, matched some of the tattoos Mom kept hidden, but other than that she had no idea what it might be.

“It’s very old,” Jocelyn replied, a strange gleam in her eyes. “A family heirloom. I want you to have it.” Clary felt that, somehow, this was a lot more significant than she could grasp.

“Thank you,” She said uncertainly, and pocketed it.

“Hey Clary! You ready to go?” Simon entered, coat in one hand, wallet in another. Clary nodded, relieved by the distraction. Jocelyn bit her lip, looking between them.

“You should come back here after.”

“I’ll come back later tonight,” Clary reassured her. “But we’re going to Lombardi’s after Simon’s show to celebrate.” Jocelyn sighed and rubbed her temple.

“Alright,” She said finally. “Just . . . be careful.” She pulled Clary into a hug and squeezed tight, as if afraid to let go.

“Mom,” Clary wheezed, feeling air compressing out of her lungs. “Losing circulation here!” Jocelyn hummed, but didn’t loosen her grip at all. “ _ Mom. _ You have to let me go; I’m legally an adult.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Mom said, but released her anyway.

* * *

“My mom is so overprotective lately,” Clary was saying, sitting on top of the van with Maureen and Simon.

“So what?” Maureen snorted. “She’s just a mother protecting her young.”

“From  _ what _ ? I spend all day in an art studio!” Secretly though, Clary was worried. What was it that she was shielded from, exactly? Was it something worse than the monsters? She shuddered.  _ I sure hope not. _

She slipped off of the van and landed smoothly, as she was wont to do whenever she landed any kind of jump (she’d asked Mom about it, but of course she’d refused to explain). She reached into her bag and grabbed a lime green spraypaint bottle, rattling it experimentally.

“So,” She said, grinning. “Let’s repaint this, shall we?”

An hour or so later, Champagne Enema was no more. Instead, Rock Solid Panda took their place. Simon laughed gleefully when he saw the finished product.

“What’s that tag?” Simon asked, pointing at a sign painted above the band name. Clary frowned.

“I don’t know,” She replied. “I didn’t even realize I was drawing it.”

“Maybe, it’s like, a different language,” Maureen offered. “I’ve heard stories of people waking up speaking different languages.”

“I suppose it could be,” Clary said, but inside she was kicking herself.  _ Those damn tattoos _ .

Suddenly a guy bumped into her, one of those built douchey types that hang around Pandemonium, and without thinking, Clary whirled around.

“Hey can you watch where you’re going?” She demanded. The guy turned around slowly, eye’s wide and confused. He approached her, and Clary felt a bit intimidated.

“You can see me?” He asked, and a wave of exasperation ran through her.

“Yeah, that’s kind of the  _ point _ ,” She said. “You obviously didn’t see me!” The blond’s eyes narrowed.

“ _ You _ have the _ Sight _ ,” He asked, deadpan, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Wait, the what?”

“How can I not know who you are?”

“Has that line  _ ever  _ worked for you?” Clary put her hand on her hips. The guy opened his mouth to reply, but a voice called out intelligibly from the club, and with one last glare at her, he turned and jogged towards the entrance. Clary stepped back towards her friends; something about that interaction definitely didn’t sit well with her.

“Can you believe that guy?” She asked Simon, who was watching her as if she’d grown a second head.

“You mean that imaginary dude you were talking to?” Maureen asked.

“N-no?” Clary said, heart pounding. She turned and gestured towards the blond, who was very cleary jogging away from them. “That guy right there, running into the club!”

“Clary, there’s no one there.”

“That guy covered in tats, like . . .” She trailed off.  _ Like my mother. _

“What guy are you talking about?” Simon asked, looking more worried by the second. Realization poured over her as she realized that the guy had been  _ glamoured. _ Like her mother with the tattoos, and her cat eyes.

“You guys seriously didn’t see him?” She tested, just to be sure. She felt irrationally excited.  _ Maybe he can tell me what my mom didn’t! _

“No, we didn’t!” Simon replied, looking genuinely frightened now. “Clary, what was in your latte?” Clary whirled around and started running towards the club, ignoring Simon’s cry of, “Wait! Your fake ID sucks!”

Entering the club was complete sensory overload, and Clary winced as the lights and ear-shattering bass attacked her.  _ Breathe in, breathe out _ . She pushed further into the crowd, eyes straining to see where the blond guy went.

There!

He was entering the back room of the club, followed by several suit-wearing security guard types. Clary quickly latched onto the arm of one, noting the unnatural color of his eyes.

“Cool contacts,” She commented breathlessly, not really paying attention. 

That is, until she made it into the back room and saw the blond guy with a sword out, held over a lady’s chest.

“Watch out!” She screamed, and pushed her safely out of the way. The guy gazed at her incredulously for a split second, but was interrupted as one of the security guards tried to attack him from behind. The blond swung his blade in an arc and missed by inches. Clary watched him fight expertly, frozen in horror. 

She was dimly aware of battle going on around her, but couldn’t seem to move from the spot. Her heart was pumping so hard she felt dizzy.

_ Clang. _

The glowing sword fell to the ground next to her, dimming the instant it left the blond’s hand. Hesitantly she reached for it, fingers curling around the rune-engraved pommel, and it lit up blue once more.

Then, one of the men stumbled towards her, right onto the length of the sword. Spontaneously, he exploded into a fine orange mist, and Clary dropped the sword with a yelp.

_ I just killed someone. Holy  _ shit _ I just killed someone! _

The sound of fighting stopped, and Clary took the chance to stumble towards the main club, her glamours flickering in and out in her distraction. She kept her eyes screwed nearly shut as she burst into the crowd of people, forcing her eye-glamour through sheer desperation alone. Preoccupied as she was, she ran smack into someone’s shoulder, and she turned to see a glittery man staring at her in what appeared to be shock.

“Sorry,” Clary squeaked, and then she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Her mom had a lot of explaining to do.


	2. Episode 1: The First Encounter (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravager demon? Now you're just making up words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, I've decided that each episode will be split into three parts, just so writing is a bit more manageable. Because this story initially follows canon pretty closely, there is a lot of dialogue overlap between the TV show and this fanfic, at least at first. I actually have the script open on my laptop while writing this to make sure I follow what's going on correctly. 
> 
> As time goes on, it will stray further and further from canon dialogue and characterizations, and I will try and incorporate my own plot-points and conflicts where I can. There are some parts of canon that I want to do away with (the weird incest plot, for one thing), and as the character's learn about Clary's powers, that will significantly impact her interactions with them, and with the plot itself.
> 
> Overall, the plot will keep going in the same direction as canon, but that's about all that will stay the same. I will also throw in some chapters from Alec's perspective, just to get some of that sweet sweet Malec in there ;). Other than that, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (BTW, I have no idea how long writing this will take, but I for sure want to add at least a season 4 and 5. This will extend for much longer than where the show ended. #saveshadowhunters)

“I mean, I’m going insane, aren’t I? There were monsters who looked like humans! Oh God, did they possess them? Did I actually kill a guy?”

  
“That blond one you talked about,” Jocelyn interrupted Clary’s pacing. “Did his tattoos look like mine?”

  
“Y-yes, they did,” Clary replied. “Mom, what-”

  
“Clary, listen,” Jocelyn stood up and grabbed her shoulders urgently. “Everything you saw today has an explanation. You’re eighteen now, and you deserve the truth. You with me?”

  
“Yeah, with you.”

  
“The protections are wearing off. I wanted to protect you, that’s why I waited so long-”

  
“Jocelyn!” Footsteps came running, and Dot burst through the door, a wild look on her face. “Look out the window!” Jocelyn ran to the door and Clary followed. Her heart sank.   
Two men were climbing out of a black, unmarked car. They had suits on, and sunglasses, and Clary instantly knew that they were bad news.

Magnus called to warn us,” Dot said.

  
“It’s time,” Jocelyn said.

  
“Time for what?” Panic bubbled up in Clary. “Mom, what’s going on?”

  
“Okay, listen to me,” Jocelyn spoke rapidly. “You cannot be near me. I stole something; something very powerful from some very bad men. You need to go to Luke; he’ll explain everything. Do not tell anyone about your powers, or show them your mark. Understand?”

  
“But how-”

  
Dot snapped her fingers, and waved them in a counterclockwise motion. Yellow sparks emerged and opened into a hole. Clary peered in, and saw the familiar inside of the police precinct.   
Jocelyn grabbed something from her pocket and forced it into Clary’s hand. It was a silvery necklace with a purple gemstone dangling from it.

  
“Mom, this is not the time for birthday gifts!”

  
“Just take it!” Jocelyn snapped. She forced Clary towards the portal. “This will take you to Luke. Tell him what happened, okay? Don’t talk to anyone else!”

  
“Mom, I’m not leaving you!” Clary exclaimed desperately, but before she could do anything else, Jocelyn pushed her into the portal.

  
She fell for a moment, stuck in sort of limbo, before finding herself sitting on the floor of the precinct. Gasping, she looked around and scrambled to her feet just as Captain Vargas, Luke’s boss, rounded the corner.

  
“Clary?” She said. “What are you doing here?”

  
“Um,” Clary stuttered. “I’m just here to see Luke. He said he’d drive me home after the party.”

  
Captain Vargas raised an eyebrow.

  
“Well, he’s in an interview right now. He’ll probably be a while.”

  
“I-it’s okay.” Clary clenched her hands behind her back to stop them from shaking. “I can wait.” The captain took in Clary’s disheveled appearance and slightly torn clothes, and her brow furrowed.  
“Are you okay? You seem a bit . . .”

  
“I’m fine.” Clary’s voice was sharper than she meant it, and her fingertips sparked. “I just really need to see Luke.” She pushed past the captain and forced herself to take a breath. Her footsteps seemed oddly loud against the tile flooring of the precinct. As she drove forward, she kept feeling like something was going to leap out at her from the shadows, or else drop from above. Every slight noise made her jump, and every flicker of the streetlamps outside cast monsterous shapes on the rough plaster walls. _Luke better have an explanation for all this._  
As she drew closer to the stairway, Clary heard Luke’s voice.

  
“-won’t let them find you.” He sounded tired and strained. Then another unfamiliar voice responded, and Clary dropped down behind the banister, peaking over it with wary eyes.

  
“This would all be easier if you would just tell us where the mortal cup is!” The man who had spoken was black haired and grim, and as he moved, Clary caught sight of a strange, circular burn mark on the side of his neck. Circular mark? Where had she seen that before…?

  
“That’s not gonna happen,” Luke replied. Then he scoffed and leaned back, surveying the two figures before him. “After all these years, you guys are _still_ after it?”

  
“It’s not for us,” the other one, a woman, bared her teeth in an approximation of a grin. “It’s for _him_.” Luke stilled, glancing between the two with a sort of horrified realization.

  
“Valentine’s still alive.” It wasn’t a question.

  
“He’ll be pretty surprised to see that you are, too.”

  
“I won’t let Valentine create an army.”

  
The dark-haired man leaned forward. “You once believed in him!”

  
“I believed in protecting humankind!” Luke growled, leaping to his feet. “And I will never let you have the cup!” Thunder rumbled outside, and Clary flinched. A storm was brewing, for all the two circle-marked figures seemed to care. The other man was grinning like the cat that got the canary.

  
“As soon as we found out that Jocelyn Fairchild was alive, you were easy to track.” The man paced forward. Luke raised an eyebrow, sitting slowly back in his chair.

  
“Fairchild?”

  
“Turns out you and Jocelyn were never that far apart!” _Ha! Got you now!_ His eyes seemed to say. “The Circle has her now; it’s just a matter of time before we have her daughter. You can have them back if you give us the Cup.”

  
“I don’t care about either of them.” Luke shrugged.

  
Clary’s world tilted, and she suppressed a cry of shock. Luke’s next words sounded from very far away.

  
“They mean nothing to me. Kill them both, if you like.”

  
_They mean nothing to me. Kill them both if you like._

  
_ Kill them both if you like._

  
Clary slid down the wall, hand pressed hard against her clenched lips. A tear splashed her hand, and blood coated her tongue in a coppery tang. Dimly, she realized she’d bitten her cheek. _What- What the fuck?_ She scrambled to her feet, slipping on the squeaky tile, only dimly aware of conversation still playing out behind her. She had to escape. She had to go back to the apartment! If Luke wasn’t safe, then who-

  
The precinct doors opened with a bang, and she scrambled down the steps, hailing a taxi as she went. She threw herself in the backseat, her address spilling from her lips on instinct.   
She let a sob spill from her lips like a prayer. 

  
“Mom.” _It’s okay mom, I’m coming._ She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting her glamours fall. Her magic hummed beneath her skin, closer to the surface now than any time after the age of five.

  
Whatever was waiting for her, she was ready.

* * *

The apartment was completely trashed. Broken glass sparkled on the carpet like a haunting constellation, tables were overturned and scratches were ripped through the wallpaper. Clary stumbled over knick-knacks and furniture that had fallen to the floor, observing her surroundings with mounting horror and trepidation.  
_What the hell happened while I was gone?_

  
Clary entered the living room, and sagged with relief as she spotted a very familiar person standing in the midst of the carnage.

  
“Dot!” Dot looked up, her expression drained.

  
“They took her,” She sighed. Clary frowned.

  
“Who took her?”

  
“Rogue shadowhunters. Looking for the Mortal Cup.”

  
“Rogue - the what?” Clary stuttered. Dot strode forward, gazing at Clary with a great degree of urgency.

  
“Listen, Clary,” She said, voice strangely hollow. “Did your mother ever mention anything about a cup? It’s very important!”

  
“N-no?” Clary replied. “She never told me anything.”

  
“It’s gold, kind of like a chalice,” Dot continued as though she’d never spoken. “She would’ve been hiding it somewhere.”

  
“I don’t know anything about a cup, Dot!” Clary exclaimed, emotion welling up inside her. “My mother was just kidnapped, why are you-”

  
“You know more than you think you do, Clary Frey!” Dot’s voice was almost a growl, and with it her body began to change. Bones crunched in and out of place, her head twisted at an unnatural angle. Her mouth opened into tentacle-like jaws, and her eyes turned black.

  
A monster.

  
_ Oh God._

  
Clary screamed. The monster attacked. She slammed up her glamour by instinct, her fingers sparking, but it was on her before she had time to defend herself. She fell to the floor and crawled back, pain sparking in her shoulder. She was dimly aware of her fingers pressing into broken glass, but the pain didn’t register. She grabbed at a firepoke and scrambled to her feet, tripping and stumbling until her back hit the wall.

  
_ I’m gonna die, oh God, I’m gonna-_

  
_ Slash._ A blade protruded from the monsters stomach, and it’s shrieking cut off as it exploded into a fine yellow mist. Clary slid down the wall, hands trembling. The firepoke clattered to the ground. A figure crouched before her, and she realized it was the same blond-haired man who she’d met at the club.

  
“What, no thank you for saving your life?” The man asked. Clary blinked stupidly at the humorous tone. She tried to stand, but the world tilted around her. The man caught her by the arm and gently sat her back down.

  
“Careful,” He warned. “That demon got a piece of you.”

  
“Demon?” Her voice sounded faint and far away.

  
“Yeah, what did you think that thing was?”

  
“A monster.” The man snorted and shook his head at her answer.

  
“Nope.” He sounded oddly cheerful. “A Ravager demon. Shapeshifter.”

  
You’re just saying words, now,” Clary breathed. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. The room spun. “Why do I feel so dizzy?”

  
“Demon venom,” The man replied. “You got a hefty dose of it. C’mon.” He picked her up in a bridal carry, as easy as if she weighed nothing. Her vision blurred, and the last thing she heard before her world faded to black was the man’s gentle voice.

  
“It’s alright. I got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAND that's it. It's not as much of the episode as I wanted to fit in here, but oh well. Things will wrap up for this section soon.
> 
> Next Up: Clary meets the shadowhunters!


	3. Episode 1: The First Encounter (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec thinks that a mundane shouldn't be in the Institute, just sayin'.

Clary awoke with a gasp, lurched upwards in bed. Her forehead collided with another person’s, who instantly withdrew. 

“Ow,” They said dryly. Clary’s vision came into focus. A young woman was sat on th end of her bed, her long black hair brushing the covers. Her eyes were slightly crinkled, with pain or amusement, and she gazed at Clary steadily, like she was assessing the best way to take her down in a fight.

“S-sorry,” Clary stuttered. “Who . . ? Where am I? What happened?”

“You really don’t know much, do you?” The words were harsh, but her tone was friendly and amused. “I’m Isabelle. I must say . . . I’m not sure why Jace is so interested in you.”

“Jace?” Clary said. “Who’s that?”

“The one that saved you,” Isabelle explained patiently. She leaned forward, a worried glint in her eye. “Do you know why those demons were after you? Do you know why they were there?”

“All I know is that some psychos took my mother, and now you people have taken me!” Clary meant the words to be intimidating, but they came out shaky and scared. He fingers sparked in warning, and Clary tucked her hands in her lap.

“I’m assuming by ‘taken’, you mean, ‘saved your life’?” Isabelle replied dryly. 

Before Clary could reply, two people walked in the room. One was the guy who rescued her, Jace, she inferred. The other was black-haired, blue-eyed, with a perpetually annoyed expression. Clary felt tense just looking at him.

“A mundane shouldn’t be here.” He sounded even more calloused and dry than Isabelle.

“Where is ‘here’, exactly?” Clary asked. They ignored her.

“She’s not a mundane,” Jace sighed.

“How do you know that?”

“The blade lit up when she touched it. Look, I’m not . . .” He sighed again, then turned to Clary. “I’m Jace Wayland.”

“And I’m guessing you already know who I am,” Clary replied.

“Am I the _only_ _one_ who finds this unusual?” The black-haired man exclaimed.

“You find everything unusual,” Isabelle said.

“I _have_ to report this to the Clave!”

“Dial it down a bit, alright Alec?” Jace put in. “We got other things to deal with right now.” 

Alec rolled his eyes and stomped away. Isabelle sighed and when after him, shooting Jace an apologetic look.

Jace and Clary were alone. He glanced at her, eyes flicking to her injury.

“You’ve healed.” He stated. “Good.” 

“Wha-” Clary brushed her hand over the wound, where, sure enough, only a faint scar remained. “How is that even possible? Are you- do you have magic?” Her mind was whirling; what if he was like her?

“No, don’t confuse me with a warlock.”

“A what?”

“One of the Downworlders.”

“You’re- that doesn’t make any sense!” Clary exclaimed. “Is that what I am?”

“Probably not, since the rune didn’t kill you.”

“Rune?” Clary sputtered. Jace sighed and closed his eyes briefly.

“Alrighty, guess we’ll start from the beginning. All the legends are true. Isabelle, Alec and I are what’s called Shadowhunters; we protect the human world from the demon world. Those people we killed at the Pandemonium? Those were demons. Shapeshifting demons.”

“Oh my god,” Clary realized. “That’s what the monsters are! They’re demons!”

“See, here’s the thing,” Jace said, leaning forward. “You _know_ things. You’ve seen them, but you don’t know anything about our world. How is that?”

“My mom never told me,” Clary sighed. “She wanted to protect me, I guess. I had some encounters with them, but she always protected me. She was going to tell me everything when I got back from Pandemonium, but . . .” her eyes pricked. “ . . . They took her. I have to get her back, please help me!”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place, I suppose,” Jace grinned. “We’re the best chance you got.”

“I don’t even _know_ you guys,” Clary protested. 

_Buzz_.

Clary fished her phone out from her pocket. Simon! She hastily pressed call and put her phone to her ear.

“How come you haven’t answered your phone in two days?” Simon asked. He sounded angry and scared.

“I’m sorry,” Clary said. “I’ve been . . . things have been really weird, okay?” She rubbed her fingers together; her magic was still agitated.

“Okay, fine,” Simon replied. “Why the Hell are you in an abandoned church? I’m right outside by the way, so don’t even try to lie.” Clary walked up to the window, and sure enough, he was standing on the sidewalk outside.

“Um . . .” Clary stammered. “I see you. Just give me five minutes to get dressed and I’ll come down, alright?” She plucked at the over-long shirt.

“Clary! Why the Hell are you _undressed_ in an abandoned church?”

“Just give me five minutes, and I’ll explain.” Clary hit end call, and turned to Jace. “Where are my clothes?”

“Demon venom, remember?” Jace said, raising an eyebrow sardonically.

“Shit, I forgot it did that,” Clary cursed. “Do you have anything I can wear?” 

Jace gestured to a pile of what looked like a dominatrix outfit on a chair beside the bed. “Isabelle left you these.”

Clary gritted her teeth, annoyance and humiliation welling up inside her, but she pushed it down. “Well, it’s better than nothing, I guess.”

“You got that right,” Jace patted her on the back. “I’ll leave so you can change, then we’ll see about your mundane boyfriend, okay?” He turned and walked away before Clary could correct him. She huffed._ I can already tell this conversation is gonna be interesting._

* * *

“You’re not gonna kill Simon, right?” Clary asked Jace worriedly as they made their way to the main exit. Jace bared his teeth.

“It’s ‘kill the demons, protect the humans’. You’ll get it eventually.” He pushed open the double doors, and the chilly night air raised goosebumps on Clary’s rather exposed skin. Only then did a question occur to her.

“So, why can’t Simon see you?” She asked as they walked down the steps.

“There’s a glamour rune that makes me invisible to mundanes if I activate it,” Jace replied. Simon was watching them approach, looking disturbed and worried.

“Clary?” Simon called. “What on Earth are you doing in those clothes? It’s freezing out!” He took off his coat and offered it to her, and she gladly accepted, happy to not die of hypothermia.

“Hey,” Simon said. “Let me take you home, okay?”

“I . . .” A lump formed in Clary’s throat. “I don’t have one anymore, Simon.” 

“What?” 

“Clary Fairchild!” A new voice spoke, and Clary whirled around, heart pounding. A man was approaching her. He wore all black, and his eyes glinted dangerously.

Before she could react, Jace stepped behind the man and stabbed him in the throat. The man gargled and choked, before slumping to the groan.

“Jace!” Clary exclaimed reproachfully. Simon looked at her in alarm.

“What?” He said.

“Is he dead?” Clary asked. Jace shrugged and nodded.

“He was going to attack you,” He replied, as if it was no big deal.

“Clary, is who dead?” Simon grabbed her by the shoulders, a frantic look in his eye. “What’s going on?”

“Hey, Jace, can you maybe deglamourize or something so Simon doesn’t think I’m going insane?” Clary said plaintively. Jace grinned, clearly having way too much fun with this, but did as he was asked.

Simon yelped. “What is going on? Am I dreaming?”

“Yeah, we don’t exactly have the time right now,” Jace said. “We need to get back inside.” He turned on his heel and walked back toward the church, clearly expecting them to follow. Clary took Simon by the shoulder and led him after Jace.

“Who is that, Clary?” Simon stage whispered. “Is that your drug dealer or something?”

“I’ll explain later,” Clary whispered back. 

As they passed the man on the ground, Clary looked at him and frowned.

“I think I’ve seen him before!” Clary exclaimed. “At the precinct.”

“He’s a member of the Circle,” Jace called behind him. “He’s here for you.”

“For me?” Clary pushed open the doors, beckoning Simon inside. “Why? Is he here with the people who took my mom?”

“Yes,” Jace said. “He’s here to capture or kill you, and your idiot friend led him right to us.”

They stopped at the threshold, and Simon looked bemused.

“Nice place you got here, huh?” He said. Jace rolled his eyes and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Look again, mundy-boy.”

Simon stared for a moment. Then his eyes got comically wide. “Whoa! What is this place?”

Clary looked to Jace, who mouthed, “glamour”. Clary looked around, admiring the woodwork and the long hallway, leading out to the main area that Clary had gone through. Simon looked like he might faint.

“Welcome to the Institute.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I know a lot hasn't changed yet, but it will soon. Trust me.


	4. Episode 2: The Impure Child (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is Clary Fray?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One quick-ass update, comin' up! Hopefully my inspiration doesn't run out too soon.

Clary glanced around in interest as they made their way through the Institute, taking note of everything she hadn’t had a chance to observe before. The main areas looked advanced, high-tech, a contrast to the antique architecture of the older rooms. Everything was brightly lit, and smelled slightly metallic. The workers glanced at them, but didn’t say anything.

“What is this place?” Simon said, eyeing the numerous weapons on everyone’s belts. “Is there a war going on that I don’t know about?”

“There is now,” Jace replied. 

“Man, there’s a lot of gear here,” Simon said, “What, did you guys rob a tech shop?”

“Hey,” Clary leaned in and spoke quietly. “I think they can help us, Simon. He protected me.”

“From what?”

“Demons,” Jace said. “It’s a Shadowhunter thing. We protect humans from demons.”

“Riight,” Simon drawled. “Because there’s totally demons running around New York, attacking people.”

“That’s the first intelligent thing you’ve said so far.” Jace stopped in front of a woman who was observing some kind of map. He tapped her on the shoulder. “How’s it looking?”

“NYPD,” She replied, looking bored. “They’ll clear out in a bit.”

“Police?” Simon exclaimed. “Oh man, we are screwed.” 

“Relax, mundane. We have wards up; they aren’t able to get in even if they tried.” Jace looked around and beckoned to someone. Clary turned to see Alec walking towards them, looking even more deeply annoyed, if that was even possible.

“Why is there another mundane here?” He griped. “Are we throwing a party for them or something?”

“A Circle member followed him here to get Clary,” Jace said. “He wanted to kill them both, so I brought him inside.”

“Um,” Simon’s voice shook. “What is a Circle member and why are they trying to kill us?”

“All we know is . . .” Jace paused and looked at Alec, before continuing. “A long time ago, a group of Shadowhunters led a revolt. A lot of people got killed, including my father.” 

“And since the revolt we’ve been forbidden to even mention the Circle,” Alec finished. “Which is why a Circle member showing up on our doorstep is just _perfect_.”

“Are you always this sarcastic?” Clary asked him.

“I don’t know, is your voice always this annoying?”

“Okay!” Jace interrupted loudly. “Let’s move on, shall we? There’s someone here who might be able to help us.”

“Who?” A voice sounded behind them. _Isabelle_. Simon noticed her and audibly gulped.

“You know who he’s talking about,” Alec said, sounding annoyed. Isabelle shrugged and smiled.

“If you think that’s a good idea, go ahead,” She replied. “Just don’t put him in too much pain, okay?”

“We won’t,” Jace said. He turned and started to head off toward what looked like a training room. “C’mon, Clary.” Both Clary and Simon started to follow, but Jace held up a hand.

“Not you,” He said to Simon. “You stay with Isabelle.”

“But-” Simon started.

“It’s fine,” Clary said to him. “I’ll go with him, you stay here, okay?” Simon looked like he wanted to argue, but he did as he was told. Clary saw Isabelle grinning mischieviously as they walked away.

“Will he be okay with Isabelle?” Clary asked Jace.

“Probably,” Jace replied, which wasn’t reassuring in the slightest.

Jace led Clary over to the training room, where a buff Shadowhunter was fighting a lithe one. Clary watched with interest as they danced around each other in an effortless whirlwind, blades flickering like silver flame.

“Who is that guy?” Clary asked.

“That’s Hodge, our weapons’ trainer, and most importantly, a former Circle member. After the uprising, he repented and was sent to live and work here. He is, however, forbidden to leave the Institute.”

“Small price to pay for being a part of a gang of murderous psychopaths,” Clary muttered, and Jace snorted. 

The man, Hodge, flipped the woman over, who landed hard on her back. Satisfied, he sheathed his sword and helped her up. As he did so, his eye caught Clary’s.

“Jocelyn?” He breathed, and made his way over to them. Clary hesitantly shook her head.

“My name is Clary Fray,” She corrected. “Jocelyn is my mother.”

“I’ll be damned!” His eyes flickered from her to Jace. “Is she okay?”

“... No,” Clary sighed. “I’m here because Mom was kidnapped. By someone named Valentine.”

“By the Circle,” Jace said. Hodge’s face paled, and he took a step back.

“That’s-that’s impossible,” Hodge stammered. “Valentine’s dead! The Circle died with him, I- _agh_-” The circle on Hodge’s neck began to smolder and glow, and he grimaced in pain.

“What- are you okay?” Clary asked.

“I made a promise never to speak about it,” He said through gritted teeth. “The Clave, they… did this to make sure I keep my vow.” Clary glanced at Jace with mild concern, but didn’t tell him to stop. If this was the only way they could get information, then so be it.

“If the Circle is really back,” Hodge continued, even though each word caused him pain, “and they’ve taken Jocelyn . . . Valentine Morgenstern- we thought he wanted to protect humans, like all Shadowhunters!” He grunted in pain and grabbed at the wall, clutching his neck. “We didn’t know the lengths he would go… the people he would sacrifice. So many would’ve died if we carried out his plans.”

“I don’t understand,” Clary said. “How does my mother fit into this?”

“She was a member of the Circle, Clary,” Hodge said gently.

Silence.

“No!” Clary sputtered. “No, she wouldn’t- she wouldn’t do that!”

“The important thing is that she left,” Hodge pressed on. “And none of this should matter anyway. Valentine died in a fire years ago.” His neck glowed stronger, and Hodge hissed and slid down the wall.

“Hodge-” Jace began, but Hodge shook his head.

“I need to… you _have_ to understand Clary, if Valentine got his hands on the Cup-”

“The Cup?” Clary interrupted him. “My mom said she hid something, something important! Maybe…” Jace looked alarmed.

“Clary, the Mortal Cup is one of the most important artifacts in the Shadow World,” Jace said. “Whoever had it could control demons, make more Shadowhunters. If Jocelyn hid the cup…”

“She’s in danger,” Hodge grunted. “A lot of danger.” He cried out in pain.

“I’m sorry,” Clary said. “We shouldn’t be putting you through this.” Hodge bared his teeth in an approximation of a grin.

“You didn’t put me through this, Clary Fray,” He said. “The Clave did. I’m… I’m the one who should be sorry. Your mother was trying to protect us, but you need to save her. Before Valentine destroys us all.” He closed his eyes and slumped back against the wall, clearly exhausted from the pain.

“Get some rest, Hodge,” Jace said. “Sorry to question you like that.” Clary dug her nails into her palms, panicked magic rising within her despite her efforts to control it. She gasped and doubled over.

“Clary?” Jace asked sharply. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“... Having trouble breathing,” She managed. And it was true; all this was just- it was just too much.

“Hey,” Jace’s voice was concerned, gentle. “It’s okay. There’s no need to panic. We’ll figure this out.” He put a hand on Clary’s shoulder, and led her to the steps, where they sat down. The action grounded her somewhat, and she took a deep breath, forcing her magic down once again.

“This whole thing is _fucked_,” She said, and Jace let out a bark of laughter.

“You could say that again,” He said. “Think about how we feel; there hasn’t been a new Shadowhunter in… well, there hasn’t been. All the Shadowhunters come from known families; they grow up within the system.”

“Is that what I am?” Clary said. “What-what even are Shadowhunters? What can Shadowhunters do, exactly?”

“Well,” Jace sat back. “We draw runes, like I showed you earlier. They give us abilities when activated, like faster healing, night vision, things like that. We draw and activate them using steles, like this,” He pulled one out of his pocket, and Clary saw with surprise that it was the same strange stick that Mom gave her for her birthday. “We’re also trained from birth how to fight, using various weapons, such as seraph blades, which are the glowing ones you saw, and other weapon specializations. These abilities are how we fight demons, and whatever else we may come across.”

“But no magic?” Clary asked. “No… marks?”

Jace frowned at her. “Where on earth did you learn about Warlock Marks?”

“Um,” Clary floundered. “I overheard my mom talking about them, I think. When I was smaller.” Jace relaxed.

“Ah,” He said. “In that case, no. Only Warlock’s have those abilities, and marks, which are essentially physical features that mark them as Warlocks. Different colored skin, eyes, horns, that sort of thing. But Shadowhunters have none of that. If they did, they’d probably be kicked out.” He meant that last part as a joke, but Clary’s stomach twisted horribly. Was she some kind of freak? Was _that_ why her eyes were weird?

“How, um,” Clary said. “How do you know I’m a Shadowhunter, then?”

“For one thing, your mother is one,” Jace explained. “Being a Shadowhunter is an inherited trait. And for another, the rune I drew on you to heal you? If you’d been anything other than a Shadowhunter, the rune would’ve killed you.”

“Oh.” Clary mumbled. What the actual fuck was she, then? Was she a Warlock, a Shadowhunter, what?

Before she could open her mouth, Alec walked over and sat down next to them.

“So?” He asked. “Did you learn anything?”

“We know that Valentine is alive, and wants the Cup.” Jace told him. Alec cursed and closed his eyes.

“Okay. What else?”

“For some reason, he thinks my mom has it,” Clary said. Jace glanced at her.

“_Could_ she have it?” He asked. Clary shrugged.

“I don’t know,” She said. “If I did know at one point, then I was really little. I think Dot might…” A thought occurred to her. “Wait.”

“What?” Jace sat up straighter.

“Magic,” She said. “Dot did magic! She created some kind of portal to get me out of there!”

“She created a Portal? Must be a Warlock,” Jace answered her unspoken question. “If we can find her, then we might be able to learn something. If she isn’t working for Valentine, that is.” 

“Right,” Clary said. “We should find her then. Um… where’s Simon?” Alec snorted.

“Isabelle went and made him breakfast,” He said. “Lucky him.” It sounded, as usual, like a very sarcastic statement. Jace snorted and got up, beckoning for Clary to follow.

“C’mon,” He said. “We might be able to access some info on the computers.” She followed him to the digital map they’d studied earlier, and Jace bent over, typing in something.

“Where are you, Jocelyn Fairchild?” He murmured. A notification popped up, blaring “RESTRICTED” in all red letters. Jace let out a frustrated sound and slammed his hand on the keyboard. “Great. Guess we’re doing this the hard way.”

* * *

“Do you have anything else I can wear?” Clary asked. They were in Isabelles room, picking out clothes for the upcoming mission. Isabelle gave her an amused look, sprawled lazily in one of the chairs.

“What’s wrong?” She drawled. “All of the naughty bits are covered! A bit too much, in my opinion.” Clary sighed, observing herself in the low-cut shirt and skin-tight pants, but didn’t answer.

“Where’s Simon, by the way?” She asked instead. “He was with you earlier.”

“Pretty sure the boys have him,” She answered. “Relax, Clary. No one here hurts mundanes.”

“Right,” Clary said. “So. You, Jace and Alec are siblings, right?”

“Yep!” Isabelle chirped. “No need to worry about Jace; he’s single as a butterfly.” 

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Yes, it was.” She tilted her head to one side. “My parents took him in when he was ten. We train together as siblings, learned to fight side by side.”

“Jeez,” Clary huffed. “When I was ten, all I had to worry about was my math grades. And random monster popping out of bushes, of course.”

“Is this where I give you a pep talk?” Isabelle said dryly. “‘Be the Shadowhunter you were always meant to be'?”

_But I’m not a Shadowhunter_, Clary thought. _Not like you_. She didn’t say anything though, and Isabelle took her silence as hesitance.

“Listen, Clary,” She said. “This power? This… fight? It’s in your blood. This is who you are. No matter what.”

“Don’t exactly feel that way,” Clary murmured, glancing down at her fingertips. If she wanted, she could levitate that chair. She could set the curtains on fire, she could… _is this power really who I am?_

“I know it doesn’t feel like it Clary,” Isabelle said. “But it’s the truth. You were born this way. We all were. We need to find Dot, and we need to get your mother back. It’s our job.”

“Right,” Clary sighed. “Tracking down the world’s most dangerous Shadowhunter before he destroys everything I care about. Simple!” Isabelle laughed.

“Now you’re getting it!” She said. “C’mon, the others are waiting for us.” She walked out of the room, Clary following her.

As they passed by the mirror, Clary gazed at herself and raised her chin, allowing her power to run through her just this once. For a single moment, just one, her eyes flickered gold. She smiled.

_This is who I am._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been thinking of going back and editing the episode parts into one long chapter each. I'd still upload them in parts, but combine them once I'm done with each episode; that way you'd get quicker updates. What do you guys think?


	5. Episode 2: The Impure Child (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dot is gone, and the City of Bones awaits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, but it was a bit challenging to write considering how much Clary differs from canon here. Rest assured, things are about to get interesting.

“Hey,” Simon nudged Clary as they followed Isabelle to the others. “Let’s get out of here, yeah? We can get Dot ourselves.”

“And fight off demons?” Clary scoffed. “Do you know how to fight demons? Because all I know is how to run away. And I’m done doing that.” 

Isabelle led them to one of the hidden shelves and pushed a button. A rack slid from the wall, holding rows and rows of seraph blades.

“Whoa,” Simon gasped.

“Hey, Izzy, wait,” Jace said, stopping her from reaching for the weapons. “We should probably get permission first.” Isabelle glanced at him, then at Alec, who was jogging towards them. She smirked.

“Bet you five bucks he doesn’t approve of this mission,” She sing-songed.

“I don’t approve of this mission!” Alec snapped as he reached them. “I spoke with the Clave and they said they were sending Seelie scouts to find Valentine, but they made it clear that the girl needs to stay here.”

“First of all, my name is not ‘girl’,” Clary retorted. “And second, I don’t give a _shit_ what the Clave says, whatever that might be. I’m going to find Dot.”

“Alec, listen,” Jace sighed. “This warlock has answers we need. Clary’s going whether we want her to or not, and I’m not letting her go out there alone. It’s not safe.”

“He’s kinda right,” Isabelle said.

“Et tu, Izzy?” Alec sighed. “Alright, fine. Where does _Clary_ think we should look, then, if she has all the answers?”

“We should-” Clary gasped and clutched her necklace. She closed her eyes- _Dot ran, glancing back as she went, through the doors of the Pandemonium._

“What?” Alec said.

“I, uh, think I know where Dot is,” Clary said.

“Great!” Simon said, clapping his hands together. “I’ll drive. Unless you all have driver’s licenses.” Jace exchanged a look with Izzy, but nodded in acceptance.

“Alright, mundane,” Alec grumbled. “Lead the way.”

* * *

They were walking down the street towards the club when Clary felt the necklace warm again. She stopped abruptly and clutched at it, eyes shuttering as she was assaulted by another vision.

_“No!” Dot screamed. She was ambushed by Circle members, who attacked her, shackled her._

“Dot!” Clary gasped. She began to run.

“Clary, wait!” Jace called, and the rest of them ran after her.

She burst through the doors, gazing around at the darkened club. Papers and curtains were blown aside, as if a whirlwind had passed through, but the place was utterly silent. Clary felt a hopeless weight bear down on her shoulders, and her fingertips sparked angrily. _ Dot. Not Dot too._

“She's… she’s gone,” Clary said numbly.

“What?” Simon panted as they caught up to her.

“Two Circle members,” Clary said. “They attacked her and took her away. We’re too late.”

“I’m sorry,” Simon said softly.

“You don’t understand, she’s like a sister to me!”

“I’m sorry too,” Alec said. “But we need to go back to the Institute. It’s not safe here.”

“But what now?” Clary exclaimed. “If Valentine has Dot too, then where else can we get information about the Cup?” Jace hummed, looking thoughtful.

“I think we could find a way to jog your memory,” He said slowly. “There’s a possibility that you could’ve seen or heard something and not realized it. We could… there is an option for that.”

“No, Jace-” 

“Absolutely not,” Isabelle and Alec spoke at the same time. Jace glared at them.

“We shouldn’t be afraid of the Silent Brothers,” He said.

“Who are the Silent Brothers?” Clary asked.

“Powerful Shadowhunters, with the ability to recover and enhance memories,” Alec replied. “But the process can kill you. So there is that. Regardless, we’ve broken too many Clave rules already. We shouldn’t go to the City of Bones.”

“It’s Clary’s decision,” Jace said. “Clary?”

Clary grinned sharkishly. “I think you already know my choice. Let’s go.”

“Told you she was one of us,” Isabelle laughed, and led the group out of the building.

As they piled back into the van, Clary glanced at Alec. He looked drawn and tired, a contrast to the sharp, agitated way he’d been carrying himself this whole time.

“Are you okay?” Clary asked. He looked surprised for a split second, before his cold mask slammed back down over his features.

“I’m fine,” His voice was hardened. 

“I know,” Clary said. “I’m worried too.” His jaw clenched and he turned away, looking out the window.

“You know,” Clary began as the van rumbled to life. “I don’t think I properly introduced myself to you before. I’m Clary.”

“I know,” Alec sighed. “I’m Alec, but you already knew that. Let’s just get this thing over with before the Clave finds out we directly disobeyed them.” Clary hummed and leaned back, closing her eyes.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence.

  
Simon parked the van under an underpass, where apparently the entrance to the City of Bones was located. Clary looked around anxiously as they got out.

“Well, this place isn’t creepy at all!” Simon said. 

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid,” Isabelle said.

“Are you kidding me? I was born afraid! … That sounded a lot better in my head.”

“Wait here a moment,” Jace told them. “Alec and I are gonna make sure it’s safe.” They walked a couple of meters away, talking in hushed voices.

“Hey Clary?” Simon asked. Clary looked at him. “How are you not freaked out by this whole thing?”

“I guess…” Clary pondered for a moment. “I always felt like there was something missing, you know? All these weird things kept happening around me, and Mom never explained why. It’s nice to finally have an explanation.” _For some things,_ she thought sardonically, thinking back on her real eyes. She adjusted her glamour over them once more, wincing. She hadn’t had to hide them as much around her home; having them up 24/7 was getting exhausting.

“Okay, it’s clear!” Jace called. “Simon, stay with Isabelle. Clary, follow us.” 

Clary jogged to catch up with them, stopping in front of a stairwell that led down into pitch blackness. She could see tiny, intricate patterns lining the entrance, and a power buzzed in the air like electricity. Runes.

“Lead the way,” Alec said, and together they plunged into the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Clary learns the truth. About more than one thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that I am working on a seperate fanfiction as well, and that one takes priority, so updates will be extremely slow.


End file.
